La Habra finds mold, rats at neglected apartments

Bristol Manor, an apartment complex in La Habra, has been the center of attention for La Habra's Community Preservation Division with a number of complaints and violations. The condition of most apartments is unsatisfactory, with problems such as leaking roofs, broken tiles and termite infestation. With families and children living in the area, it has become a big concern for Milan Mrakich and his code enforcement team, which is taking action with a case against the property owner. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Milan Mrakich

Code Enforcement Leader

•La Habra Community Preservation Division manager

•27 years of code enforcement experience

•Five years working for city of La Habra

LA HABRA – From the outside, the apartment complex in La Habra is an image of relative tranquility.

Behind a line of palm trees and manicured hedges sits a row of two-story buildings. A sign reading "Bristol Manor" beckons to passing motorists on Whittier Boulevard.

But inside, windows are covered in bars, and rats scurry near overflowing trash bins. Concrete staircases are cracked and crumbling. Apartments are infested with termites and cockroaches. Walls sag under the weight of mold.

Since discovering the living conditions at Bristol Manor in January, city workers have made the 80-unit apartment complex a priority, building relationships with tenants and pressing the owner to make needed repairs.

The complex is among 4,000 cases handled a year by the La Habra Community Preservation Division, a team of seven employees who combat blighted properties and other code enforcement issues. Officers have found nearly two dozen violations of the city's building code at the apartment complex alone.

"In La Habra, people shouldn't be living like this," said Community Preservation Manager Milan Mrakich while he walked through the building's courtyard on a recent visit.

Community preservation officers have shut down pot dispensaries, illegal gambling halls and prostitution dens masquerading as massage parlors. They also work to rehab neglected houses and overgrown yards, remove abandoned vehicles and raze crumbling buildings.

Unkempt property takes a large chunk of their time. And those issues can affect the entire city.

Decrepit, boarded-up homes and other blighted areas can depress property values across a neighborhood. Statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate abandoned buildings can reduce the value of a nearby home by 13 percent. Trash in a neighborhood can reduce home values by 15 percent.

Community preservation employees roam the city each day looking for code enforcement violations, driving down each street at least once a week.

"One property, one street, one community at a time," Mrakich said. "It really enhances things."

Many property owners, Mrakich said, work to correct violations voluntarily. Others are difficult to track down.

Fixing large apartment complexes can be especially difficult because tenants often are afraid to report violations because of eviction fears. City officials and residents said some Bristol Manor tenants are undocumented immigrants, and some are behind on their rent.

"In this economy, they're happy to have a roof over their head," Mrakich said. "They don't want to stir the water or run the risk of being evicted."

On a recent afternoon at Bristol Manor, a 27-year-old resident stood inside the bathroom of a one-bedroom apartment that he shares with his wife and two young children.

He pointed to the compressed cardboard walls, falling apart and tinged black with mildew. His 4-year-old son suffers from asthma, and he's often in the emergency room.

"This is the worst we've had it," said the resident, who declined to give his name. He is afraid to speak out publicly because he fears being evicted from the apartment where he has lived for eight years.

Since the beginning of the year, the city has served several correction notices to the Bristol Manor property owner and issued three citations for $500 each. City Attorney Richard Jones plans to file court papers to take over the property so the city can pay for repairs. The owner would be able to get the property back only after paying the city for repairs, tax liens and citations.

In severe instances, criminal complaints can be filed by the city.

Property records show the complex is owned by Chanslor Street LLC. Several messages left on a number listed under the corporation's business filing with the California Secretary of State were not returned. The address on the filing is that of a waterfront Newport Beach home. No one answered the door when a reporter went there to seek comment.

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Bristol Manor, an apartment complex in La Habra, has been the center of attention for La Habra's Community Preservation Division with a number of complaints and violations. The condition of most apartments is unsatisfactory, with problems such as leaking roofs, broken tiles and termite infestation. With families and children living in the area, it has become a big concern for Milan Mrakich and his code enforcement team, which is taking action with a case against the property owner. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
From left, Jesus Estrada, Cynthia Barajas, Milan Mrakich, Urbanie Quintero and Lou Maldonado are members of the La Habra Community Preservation Division, who act as a code enforcement team by visiting problematic locations and addressing issues that affect the overall condition and reputation of the city. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
An eight-year resident of Bristol Manor points at a ceiling that was repaired with compressed cardboard by the property owner rather than drywall. He has requested a repair for his ceiling for months after it started falling apart above the shower. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
An eight-year resident of Bristol Manor, who prefers to remain anonymous, is upset with the lack of concern by the property manager for the damage inside his apartment. With two children, including a 4-year-old with asthma, it is growing more unsuitable for his family. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A resident at Bristol Manor prepares to wash his clothes in the laundry room of his apartment complex. Problems around the complex include damaged property, graffiti and termites. It is one of the priority cases for the La Habra Community Preservation Division. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Broken beer bottles are found on the grounds of Bristol Manor apartment complex, which has become a problematic place to live for many of its residents. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A staircase at Bristol Manor shows unattended damage. It is one of several complaints given by residents living in the area, which has caused the La Habra Community Preservation Division to seek a case against the property owner. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A pair of tennis shoes hangs from telephone wire above Bristol Manor, an apartment complex that has become a priority for the La Habra Community Preservation Division. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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